Keeping dark at bay

Sunday

Jul 20, 2014 at 12:01 AMJul 20, 2014 at 12:12 AM

STOCKTON - An emotional evening ended with hundreds of candles held to the heavens in honor of Misty Holt-Singh, the 41-year-old woman who was found dead Wednesday following an intense gunbattle between heavily armed bank robbers and police.

Jason Anderson

STOCKTON - An emotional evening ended with hundreds of candles held to the heavens in honor of Misty Holt-Singh, the 41-year-old woman who was found dead Wednesday following an intense gunbattle between heavily armed bank robbers and police.

Several hundred people packed the courtyard at the University Plaza Waterfront Hotel on Saturday night for a candlelight vigil. Holt-Singh's relatives joined Stockton Mayor Anthony Silva on stage during a moment of silence as friends, family and total strangers raised candles toward the sky, creating a warm glow that filled the hearts of some among the community with hope for a brighter day in Stockton.

"It was beautiful," said Paul Singh Jr., Holt-Singh's 19-year-old son. "Words would never be able to describe it. It was beautiful like a sunset."

Silva addressed the crowd along with a number of pastors who led people in prayer.

"No words that any of us can say will stop the pain that Misty's family is feeling right now," Silva said. "There is an emptiness and a void that cannot be filled, and only time will mend a broken heart.

"Misty will always be loved and cherished by her family, and they will always miss her. She was a part of their lives, and now she has become a part of many people's lives in our community and across the country. We are here to offer our deepest condolences to Misty's family. We offer our love and our prayers. We want them to know they are not alone, as a grieving city of 300,000 residents stands ready to assist them in any way possible."

The candlelight vigil was organized by Jordan Coates, 30, a Lodi resident who attended Brookside Christian High School in Stockton.

"Our community needs this," Coates said. "Our community needs to unite and come together as one. I'm hoping that people realize there are good people and there is good in Stockton. There might be negatives, but there's just as much love and just as much that's positive as there is hate and anger and evil."

Stockton resident Frank Gomez attended the event on behalf of his wife, who was one of Holt-Singh's friends. Gomez said he was impressed by the show of support for Holt-Singh's family.

"You don't even have to know the person to know what happened here in Stockton that day was not right, but Misty is up in heaven now with the angels where nothing can hurt her."

Sue Hendricks said she didn't know Holt-Singh, but she still felt compelled to attend the vigil.

"I felt like I needed to come here and support the family," she said. "It could have been all of us. It could have been any of us."

Earlier in the day, dozens gathered at Holy Cross United Methodist Church on West Hammer Lane to participate in a prayer walk that ended in front of the Bank of the West branch where Wednesday's robbery occurred.

Holt-Singh was one of three hostages who were abducted when the robbers fled in a Ford Explorer belonging to a bank employee. She was the only hostage remaining in the sport utility vehicle when an hourlong pursuit ended with a massive shootout between police and gunmen armed with an AK-47-style assault rifle and three handguns.

Two of the three suspects were also killed in the gunbattle. Police believe the sole survivor used Holt-Singh as a human shield.

"What happened was tragic," Stockton resident Ken Steele said. "You wish you could spin the world backwards and make it better. I hope it becomes a focus for us as a community for every citizen to do whatever they feel they can do to help us get well as a community."

About 40 people walked east on West Hammer Lane and south on Thornton Road until they arrived at the bank, where they joined 10 to 20 others to pray for the victims, their families and the community.

"We're gathered here, I'm sure, for a number of reasons," said Rev. Cynthia Stateman, head pastor at St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Stockton. "One, to pay respect to the Singh family, and to be in remembrance of the others in this tragedy who were injured, kidnapped or hurt. We come in shock, we come in grief, we come in anger, perhaps we come in fear, but I hope that we also come for an opportunity for healing, not only of ourselves, but healing also of our community."

Stateman then invited community members to offer a one-word prayer, and, one by one, they did.

Some prayed for peace, some for strength, some for healing and some for hope.

Rev. Kim Montenegro, head pastor at First United Methodist Church in Tracy, then concluded the ceremony with some stirring words.

"Your voices have been heard," she said. "They have been spoken to the heavens and they have been spoken to one another. May they be of love. May they be of peace. May they be of loving one another and those we do not even know. May they be of mercy. May they be strong. From our lips to God's ears, amen."

Contact reporter Jason Anderson at (209) 546-8279 or janderson@recordnet.com. Follow him at recordnet.com/crimeblog and on Twitter @stockton911.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.